She raised a gentle and beautiful smile, every movement possessing a greenness and innocence distinct from 'Mother', yet with a faint smile in her eyes and an elegant grace in her demeanor that made it hard not to feel a sense of goodwill toward her.
She was different from Sharon Wynyard, had nothing to do with Absinthe, who bloomed within the darkness of the Organization; she carried both the caution of a newcomer and the confidence of a favored daughter of heaven.
Two different postures, two peerless flowers of world-renowned beauty.
Vermouth performed it perfectly.
She had already played the roles of mother and daughter on several occasions, using subtle techniques to differentiate their appearances across two generations; the blood relation of being "mother and daughter" provided a reasonable explanation for their resemblance to outsiders.
It was almost flawless.
Even so, as one of the few times Chris Wynyard has made a formal appearance, today's banquet can still be considered important.
Similarly, dispatching two high-level members at the same time clearly demonstrated the Black Organization's determination to succeed in this mission.
Gin wore a tailor-made, well-fitted black suit. He was tall and elegant, with broad shoulders and long legs, looking every bit the perfect mannequin. His low-key, classic style did not make him stand out from the crowd, yet he was far from being lost among them.
His features, softened by Vermouth, remained handsome, the coldness in his gaze was deliberately restrained, yet it revealed a different kind of haughty elegance that drew many admiring glances.
Fortunately, he had no intention of truly fading into the crowd—as Chris's companion, if he remained completely invisible throughout the event, it would certainly arouse suspicion if anything were to happen.
The banquet wasn't particularly high-end, but many big shots from the entertainment industry attended, along with many rising stars from the music and even the art worlds—it was, after all, a social gathering meant for networking.
The Chris Wynyard played by Vermouth was still a newcomer; however, she was not lonely, as several seniors even approached her to exchange pleasantries—most of them were simply doing it as a favor to Sharon.
Gin didn't really want to get involved, so he simply played the part of a "cold and arrogant, unsociable" person to the fullest. He waited until Vermouth, performing his role with a blooming, flower-like smile that drew most of the attention toward the two of them, before using a clever way to slip away from the crowd.
Their main target today was not actually to engage in conversation.
The Silver-haired youth's back quickly disappeared into the crowd. Vermouth chatted and laughed with a group of people, occasionally showing expressions of surprise or joy, his willow-leaf eyebrows curving with elegance, his eyes narrowing slightly with curiosity; everything was so incredibly lifelike.
In a sea-blue evening gown, the silk dress was not only soft and form-fitting, but its texture was also flawless and lustrous. The tight design outlined his beautiful curves from his waist to his hips, extending down to his thighs before flaring out into a voluminous hem. It was like an inverted flower, with delicate, swaying branches at the top and blooming petals at the bottom.
The blonde-haired beauty smiled, his laughter was so melodious.
The decorative belt was adorned with tiny crystals; it was not expensive, but the cut was excellent, giving it a faint, diamond-like brilliance from a distance. The small, exquisite piece draped diagonally across the Blonde-haired woman's slender waist, adding a touch of youthful charm and vivacity to her overall look.
The dress was a common sleeveless style, but the original backless design was currently covered by a small, connected short outer layer, concealing a large expanse of beautiful scenery. Only at the junction did her fair skin peek through, partially hidden as if she were holding a lute to her face.
Her long, beautiful arms remained openly exposed under the Light, her skin firm and delicate, her bones slender and elegant. Her hands were like works of art, a platinum chain wrapped casually around her wrist in several loops, its end dangling nonchalantly across the back of her hand.
She held the wine glass and took a small sip of Cabernet Sauvignon, the chain on the back of her hand clinking against the glass with a crisp sound. The unique taste of the dry red wine blossomed on her taste buds. Maintaining a shallow smile, she cast a seemingly casual glance in the direction Gin had departed.
Chris closed his eyes, before the person he was talking to could ask, Vermouth opened his eyes, revealing a gentle and beautiful smile.
The Light was blindingly bright.
..
Gin knew exactly how much time Vermouth could stall and when he should return to avoid drawing attention; before the mission began, the blueprints and route maps of this building had already been handed to him. It wouldn't take more than a single night to study these blueprints thoroughly and commit them to memory.
Having successfully located the circuit breaker, Gin raised his hand and hooked it with a fishing line; the small "tools" he carried with him were essential. In less than a minute, Gin had completed a small mechanism.
The slightly dim indoor lighting was clearly not conducive to delicate work, the long hair occasionally getting in the way made Gin feel a bit irritated. He casually tied back his somewhat messy long hair; this ponytail, a hairstyle he had worn less and less over the years, added a touch of youthful vigor to his appearance.
However, Gin did not care about these things. He hooked the line around his index finger and used his other hand to press the lighter, carefully controlling the temperature to keep the fishing line in a state that was fragile but not broken.
The subsequent setup was even simpler; even with limited time, Gin remained composed and completed his work with extremely high efficiency.
The corridor was empty, with the faint, gentle music from the Party audible in the distance. The sound of people chatting created a sharp contrast with the silence just a few steps away.
In the next second, Gin paused, his green eyes narrowing slightly. In a flash, he abruptly changed her plan to return to the party and instead headed toward the smoking room.
Not far away, the energetic voices of a young man and woman could be heard.
"Oh my.. it's all your fault! Look, we're going to be late!" The black-haired woman, wearing a simple little cocktail dress that made her beautiful face look even more radiant in red, frowned as she looked at the time displayed on her mobile phone, complaining to her Companion.
"It's fine, it's fine.. We're not too late!" The Youth with thick eyebrows and large eyes answered somewhat guiltily. Although he was wearing a black suit, her hair was simply tied in a low ponytail, giving him a somewhat rebellious appearance.
Three seconds after Gin's figure disappeared around the corner, a young man and woman appeared in the corridor together, walking quickly while conversing in low voices.
“Whatever.. I was looking forward to it too.” The Woman's tone was somewhat dejected, she gave the person beside her a very unhappy glare.
"Sorry, sorry." The Youth laughed dryly, raising his hand to rub his head.
While talking, the silver-haired youth, who had only taken a few casual puffs of his cigarette but deliberately left some scent of smoke on himself, reappeared in the corridor, his steps steady and his expression composed.
Gin's appearance was so striking that Nanase Miyuki cast several curious glances at him, completely ignoring the Companion's face, which was written all over with displeasure.
“Who is this person?” Nanase Miyuki asked with great interest, pulling on his childhood friend's clothes.
Kindaichi rolled his eyes, his voice reluctant: "How should I know.."
The voices of the young man and woman faded into the distance as the three people successfully returned to the party.
..
"Why so slow?" Vermouth hooked his arm through Gin's, a polite smile maintained at the corners of his mouth. His blue eyes shimmered as she deliberately lowered his voice to ask.
The Woman's blonde hair was all swept up, revealing her delicate and exquisite neck, while small, exquisite black pearl earrings hung from her earlobes, creating a striking contrast between black and white.
Gin took a sip of champagne, the light gold liquid emitting an elegant fragrance, its taste mellow yet not heavy, his voice sounded somewhat magnetic beneath the liquid: "I've run into someone I'd rather not see."
A cold glint flashed in Vermouth's eyes; his expression remained unchanged, but his voice grew cold. "Does he need to be dealt with?"
It's nothing major," Gin replied slowly. "It might even work in our favor.
If this Shinigami can utilize his 'talent.'
After all, the crime scene where the murder case occurred would inevitably become chaotic, which would naturally significantly reduce the difficulty of his actions.
The blonde-haired beauty blinked his eyes in confusion, but seeing that his partner had no intention of answering his question, he did not dwell on it. He simply gave a slight nod to him and walked a few steps toward someone he knew.
Gin watched Vermouth's departing figure and drained the champagne in the wine glass in one gulp.
..
The chaos came without warning.
As a scream of "Someone is dead!" rang out, Vermouth, his face pale with terror, trembled alongside the panicked women, while his mind wandered aimlessly, thinking, 'Could this be what Gin meant by being in our favor?'
So, who was the person he didn't want to see? Was it the Killer who brought the chaos?
The blonde-haired beauty glanced at the deceased and frowned slightly.
This kind of crude technique doesn't look like the work of a professional at all..
He looked toward Gin from a distance, only to unexpectedly find that the expression on the silver-haired youth's face was more one of.. helplessness?
Yes, it was helplessness—Gin appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, he was already feeling quite exasperated.
He felt deeply that perhaps detectives, as a species, truly possessed some kind of miraculous ability.
If Tokyo had a few more detectives like him, the overcrowding problem would certainly be effectively alleviated.
After the murder case occurred, the first thing to do was naturally to call the police, then Kindaichi, a detective with an extremely strong sense of justice, stepped forward and secured the crime scene.
Seeing that everyone's gaze at the crime scene was focused on Kindaichi, Gin lowered his eyes slightly and moved inconspicuously, approaching the Target's back.
Vermouth nodded to him slightly.
The next second, all the lights on the ballroom Ceiling went out, the hall was plunged into a terrifying darkness.
The crime scene where the murder case had just occurred was clearly not safe; everyone had fallen into fear, with screams, roars, shouting rising one after another.
Amidst the chaos, Gin calmly put on disposable plastic gloves—thin, convenient, easy to carry—and, without changing his expression, took out a sharp blade and walked toward the Target who had already fallen into his net.
His technique was incredibly exquisite, as practiced as if he had undergone hundreds of training sessions. As the tip of the blade pierced the heart, taking the man's life in an instant, he thrust it in several inches deeper, decisively burying the thin blade within the man's body.
The man's death scream was drowned out by the surrounding chaos. After Gin finished dealing with the murder weapon, he casually tugged at the man's suit, perfectly concealing the small tear.
Clean and efficient, a single fatal blow.
From this angle, as long as the blade isn't removed, it won't cause blood to spray, since the man is wearing a black suit today, a small amount of bloodstain soaking in wouldn't be clearly visible unless someone paid close attention.
He thoughtfully helped the man to a secluded seat, posing him in a slumped position over the table as if he had collapsed from intoxication, then overturned the liquor on the table—half of it spilling across the table and the other half soaking into the man's clothes—using the scent of alcohol to mask the faint smell of blood.
After completing all this, Gin did not hesitate for a moment. He quickly took off his gloves, feigning a look of horror as he moved through the crowd toward Vermouth, gradually distancing himself from the pool of blood remaining on the floor.
A small USB drive lay quietly in his palm.
And so—
Mission completed.
-----------------------
Author's Note: It was originally meant for tomorrow morning.. but since I have some stored chapters, I'll release this one early..
There will be another chapter in a moment, as a bonus chapter to make up for the comments.
..
Chapter 88: These days, anyone can be called a 'blessed..
The Light quickly flickered back on, as the commotion subsided, the second murder case remained undiscovered for a long time.
This was entirely within Gin's expectations.
Everyone's attention was focused on the first murder case and the sudden darkness. Once the lights came back on, everyone felt as if they had just survived a disaster; how could anyone possibly notice a drunkard in a corner?
Gin walked not far from Vermouth and stopped in his tracks. The sensation of having just driven a blade into the man's heart seemed to linger on his left hand; recalling this, his finger twitched subconsciously.
In the darkness, Vermouth smiled at him softly, his flower-like, gorgeous features filled with composure, showing none of the initial panic.
The Staff quickly reset the circuit breaker, it was difficult to judge whether this sudden accident was truly an "accident." However, Gin felt that even if they sensed something was wrong, the blame for this matter would likely be shifted onto the real culprit ten to nine times out of ten.
The moment the light returned, everyone breathed a faint sigh of relief, their emotions visibly soothed by the Light. The elegant Women exhaled softly, lightly patting their chests; even the men visibly relaxed.
Darkness breeds chaos, however, is everything under the spotlight truly clean?
This question did not need to be answered.
Vermouth's face was tearful and moving, his brilliant beauty appearing somewhat disheveled. The Blonde-haired beauty's lively eyes searched for Gin's figure, the moment they caught sight of him, a striking joy appeared on the man's stunning face, instantly brightening his previously dim eyes.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Chris ran toward her partner in a few quick steps, stumbling into the Silver-haired youth's embrace and burying her head against his chest.
It was a rather ambiguous posture.
A hint of tenderness appeared in the Silver-haired youth's cold and arrogant, handsome face. He raised his hand to stroke Vermouth's hair in a comforting gesture; the blonde hair was now somewhat disheveled. The beauty wrapped his arms around his neck, letting out faint whimpers against his chest like a startled little beast.
The onlookers cast benevolent gazes—compared to Sharon, Chris appeared much more green.
It is perfectly normal for a youth to be startled and seek comfort.